Better late than never!!!!

I said goodbye to my first visitor this morning. Kim has stayed with me for the past 10 days. We first met in 2011 and our volunteer time overlapped by a month when staying at Globalteer House. We worked at different projects but spent a bit of time cooking, shopping, drinking and eating together! She eventually ended up at Grace House and worked in the office for a couple of months. Cambodia has got under her skin and decided to return for another look before she makes her future plans.

 

I am now at work for Grace House, 2 weeks into the job, mornings being spent working in the office, trying to sort out the files and docs on the computer, sorting out new supplies that have been donated, responding to the forthcoming volunteers and helping wherever I can. This role will become busier as the season moves on. The afternoons are spent teaching, 2 lessons, 1 hour each. 3 of the 10 are English from the text book, sifting out the relevant material and what is appropriate for these students, there is art, music, sport, library, topic. A challenge and a lot of time spent on the preparation of a decent class where I feel in control!

 

There have been changes in the weather, some days a little cooler (today not being one of them)! When it rains it is heavy and stormy but doesn't hang around, just heavy enough for me to realize that the kitchen roof needs replacing as the newly painted walls are stained and the ceiling is smelling very musty, it is timber so stains not seen but I bet it looks awful close up. The rain came In time as we have been clearing and planting some garden beds, I am keen to have the front lush for the forthcoming project.

Nakk and I have continued to pressure hose down the moulds walls and clear away the debris, it is looking under control. The soil here is clay with a bit of sand mixed in, we have sourced a timber workshop that said we can take the sawdust, I am looking for a garden supplier for burnt rice husks and plan on doing a raid on the Sofitel Garden where they have just raked up the grass clippings into piles!!!! Trying to get some organic matter happening! This week am going to buy some bins and start chopping up the veggie waste rather than burning it as Nakk the arsonist loves doing! Maybe collect some of those ashes also!

 

After complaining about the Jack fruit, which I can't bear to smell now, I think that I MAY have had shingles as I have neighbors with chicken pox and have had and still have a rash going up from the base of my spine which is driving me nuts itchy plus some other viral symptoms. Rashes and heat do not go together well!!! Panic over, post doctors visit, not shingles but probably a viral rash that has become a prickly heat rash, but the diagnosis doesn't stop the itch! Hopefully cortisone will!!!

 

Kim and I have been out to eat a few times, nowhere exciting apart from Sugar Palm that is always a favorite but would prefer better service. Thursday was labour day, one of the 40 or so public holidays here ( may or May not be an exaggeration) and we set off with Vibol, the tuk tuk driver. Kim wanted to visit Banteay Srey, the lovely women's temple with the fine carvings and also walk up to the Kbal Spean waterfall carvings. She mentioned trek but I chose not to hear that. TREK!!!! Oh dear, it was also a 1500 meter climb up rocks, through tree roots, slippery slopes. Itchy back going crazy, water hot enough to make tea with. But the carvings in the river let and small waterfall ( which become big in the wet) were beautiful and a 1000 years old. The. The trek back down again. A few leg bruises and grazes from slips and trips! We then headed back to Banteay Srey which has changed enormously, this little quiet provincial outpost has become a major tourist hub with shops, coffee, souvenirs, coach parking etc! Lost a bit of its shine I think.

Regardless, it was a lovely but exhausting day, around 120 km in a tuk tuk is a feat in itself! Mind you last time I saw Banteay Srei was on a cycling tour and that trip was around 70 km return, tuk tuk probably easier!

 

I am on good terms with my neighbor who has invited me to his sisters wedding next week. They are building a new home behind an existing timber traditional Khmer house and have limited space so this new house has been built with everything going in by wheel barrow. They used to have access and more land on the side until the owner of my property some years ago apparently did a land grab and you don't argue with a rich 2 star general! Upshot is they asked permission to use my driveway to dump solid and gain access to the old gate. I don't have a problem with this except yesterday the truck hit my garden wall and took that out then today I notice the driveway, under all the weight, has subsided and there could well be a drain pit that we are all about to be swallowed up in! This morning I locked the gate. Bad enough the miserable owners won't pay for the roof repair, I don't think a driveway repair will sit well with them!

 

Well the builders came today en masse. Nett was concerned that the rains were coming and didn't want to leave a roof section uncovered. Half of the roof is now done, the kitchen should be leak proof and there is also a large laser light section so lots of lovely daylight coming in. Bit of a mess to clean up in the kitchen this evening but Nakk and I rolled up our sleeves and it's looking clean and tidy again.

 

I appreciate that I have a very good life here and for me things are easy, but I don't necessarily find it that way! The water in the taps can't be used to wash salad or veg, I have to get a bowl from the filter, wash and spin everything when I buy it or else I will be forever running up and down stairs. I need to remember to turn on the town water supply to the high tank every few days because we are never quite sure when the pressure will be enough to fill the tank. When it does overflow it is generally at 4 am or thereabouts and I have to race downstairs, unbolt the door and go around the back of the house with a torch and turn off the valve. This could have been overflowing for a couple of hours so I now set my alarm for every hour between 1 and 4 am so I can check the situation. I will eventually get a pump and stop valve on this!! If I forget to fill the tank, which is the situation tonight, I will have to turn on the well pump so the tank doesn't run dry, this gives a metallic smell to the water and stains any whites. I have to lock the gates every night and get up early enough if expecting anyone so that they can get in and I rarely hear them and suddenly a head will appear around the corner as they haven't been able to make themselves heard! Everything is cash so always have to have a supply to shop and pay the bills. The suppliers of power, water cable, water filter etc don't send bills, they bring them around then call and can't understand why I'm not at home all day waiting for them! Then I can't post payment, we have to go to that office and pay the cashier. It is all very time consuming! Plus usually only 7 days to pay everything or they cut you off!!!!!

There isn't a mail delivery, if it's a letter I have to go in to the post office and trawl through hundreds of un sorted piles of letters to see if anything has my name on it. If the letter is registered or has a tracking number then they will text me or ring as long as the phone number is on the envelope, then have to go in and collect it! All on my bicycle of course! These are now the sort of things that I get Nakk to I do for me.

The phones all run off phone cards and I have now learnt to be careful of my Internet usage as that gobbles up the money and now always keep a spare credit as it is easy to be left stranded with no communication! Always trying to be a step ahead

Australia is going to be a breeze when I get home!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Khmer New Year

It has been 2 weeks since my furniture arrived and so 2 weeks of a nice comfortable bed and 2 weeks since my shoulder has stopped hurting from the plank I was sleeping on, ah bliss!

The dust which is more like a layer of garden dirt , is relentless and impossible to keep a clean surface for longer than 24 hours. For me this is constant cleaning and I really do have to stop worrying about things that I can't fix at the moment. It will get better once the garden at the front is finished and the dust literally settles!

 

Most things are unpacked, a couple of extra shelf units purchased and the study starting to look like a work area. It is so nice to have all the mod cons at hand and not have to run down to the printers for the smallest job.

 

Khmer New Year has come and gone with Siem Reap being lit up like Blackpool. Lights everywhere from the authorities lighting up the temples to the streets having lighting erected and the local folk decorating their homes. parties everywhere, this is a big family reunion time and people travel from one end of Cambodia to the other by any means that they can to reunite. Last year was apparently the first time that the government has made a spectacle of the temples with the illuminations , the concerts, food stalls and family entertainment. Last year around 150,000 visitors. 200,000 expected this year. Nak invited me to go over one night for some photography and the traffic coming in and out of the area was incredible. Seeing the temples at night was another experience all together and amazing clambering around by artificial light. Bayon was extraordinary. It usually costs $20 a day for a temple pass, free entry for locals, but after 5.30 it is free entry for everyone and probably the best time to go! Between us, Nak and I took around 300 photos which had massive editing of course, but it was fun.

 

I did think that with so much closed and no work or volunteers around, that it would be a very long dull time but I was mistaken. I kept so busy in the garden, just doing what I can do with clearing, sweeping, getting rid of old bricks etc. I dug out a couple of shrubs that had such intertwined roots that the afternoon disappeared and I had a very sore back. Decided this was the right time to head off for a massage and give myself a new year treat! A scrub, a massage and a facial, fabulous! It was 7pm before I knew it and decided to have an Indian meal in town. This place is very good and it would have to be to entice me to be anywhere near Pub Street, particularly at this time of year. It really was incredible with the noise and the seizure inducing strobe lighting! I have never eaten so quickly and been so happy to get home!

 

Nakk the young man who works for me has returned to his homeland to see his mother for a few days. He fortunately got a ride on a motorbike otherwise the only was to have got there would be In a shared cab, 2 hour journey, $5 or $10 bucks and had the pleasure of sharing with 10 others in a Camry. Can you imagine that?

 

Friday night, just before the holiday I had the pleasure of dinner with Peter Norden. He was here as the tour leader of a group or responsible travelers from the Uniting Church. Anyone who knows Peter would see the irony of this! We had a very pleasant evening at Haven which matched his travels as it is a restaurant which trains young Khmers from difficult backgrounds. Met the responsible criteria!

 

Young Nakk returned from his homeland a couple of days early and being the good young fellow he is, decided to let me know that he would come and work with me Friday as he was going to a temple on the Thai border for some celebrations on the Saturday. We worked solidly (but with a siesta imposed by myself from 1-3) from 10 - 7 and I had to force him to leave! We dug, we swept, we cleared, we had a fire as all good Cambodians do. This was the point that he stopped becoming Nakk and became fireman Sam. Nakk is a bit of an arsonist, like most young men his age, the higher the flames are leaping the broader his smile! So we are pottering away when the security guard next door comes over and they are chattering away in Khmer. Nakk downs tools, strolls over to the river bank, strolls back, picks up his I rake and continues working. What was all that about I ask, Oh he thinks the tree is burning. Well is it I ask. Yes he says! No jumping up and down, no fear! So what are we going to do? we can't leave it! We need water. The hose doesn't reach. The ladder! We set that up and up he goes. The bucket is too heavy so I find a smaller bucket and a jug. I' m the only one who sees the crisis and am panicking as most people would, but they are Khmer and they have seen and experienced worse, this is nothing!

A spark had ignited leaves that were sitting in the hollow of a branch and the BIG branch was smoldering away on this very big and very dry old tree. All I could picture was coming out onto the balcony and seeing the whole of the Siem reap river bank burning!!! Anyway, a few buckets of water later, emergency over and Fireman Sam was born! back to work and fire doused! But needless to say when I return from work today, he has it burning again! I just want the ashes for the soil that I am mixing but that is another story!

 

So Sunday morning when I am feeling ever so slightly delicate after dinner out with Samuel which due to his terrible time keeping was more drinks than dinner, the phone rings, it is 8 am. Nak (with 1 k) Hi Lynn I am here to help!!! Oh my goodness, have I got the energy?

Nak, come up, I'm having breakfast, would you like a cup of tea? No I want that coffee you made me last time, I love it!!! Good coffee here is a premium, not the coffee so much but the way it's made! I have the Italian style stove top coffee maker, some great Puerto Rican coffee and fresh Thal milk! I made one for Nak last week and he is hooked. He says the best coffee he has ever had in Siem Reap and he means it and stands over me while I make it!

We head off to Route 6 as Nak knows of a good plant nursery. We locate it and there are 2 hectares of tropical plants, amazingly healthy and such a good price. We literally load the car up and head home stopping at the local pottery works which just happen to be right behind my property! Incredible to see what they make there, massive water pots and every shape and size of plant pots.

We spend the rest of the afternoon digging and planting and Nak scales a couple of trees to cut off the dead branches. What a difference!

Even though I have these 2 lovely young men assisting me I do have to say that my best friend is the high pressure cleaner and I have to wrestle it off Nakk if I want a turn! If has made life so much easier as the walls get badly covered by black mould and need regular cleaning.

My other activity for the week was a visit to the local curtain shop. Pleasantly surprised by the service, the price and the selection. I have found the black metal curtain rings I need and have ordered a 50 mm metal Venetian for the kitchen and a roller blind for the bedroom. They will make my drapes for me for $3 a meter with me supplying the fabric and tape etc. which is pretty good, just waiting for the rods to go up then I can measure.

 

So the "what I thought was going to be a quiet week " turned into a busy productive time and now work looms!

 

Holiday is over and the new term at Grace House commences. The ride there is so much simpler on my bike, less peddling and more distance covered by the bigger wheels, not to mention the gears for the hill leading up to the ring road bridge. The first 2 days of this week are pupil free, time for cleaning and organizing and for me to familiarize myself with the job and where everything is on the computer. 2 massive cases of books and stationary items have been donated by a school and brought over by a Canadian family, takes 3 of us 2 hours to put it all away. I have 3 bags of goodies here at my place that need to be delivered also, a gift from 3 Australian visitors that I showed around last week. Actually had a good morning with these girls as after we had visited the empty school, I took them to Wat Athwea which is close to Grace House, to discover the whole community there celebrating New Year and making offerings to the monks. A lot of the kids and families recognized me and came over to say hello, it was wonderful.

 

New Year celebrations over, work has begun and routine to be established. My life is going to be very full but I am sure very rewarding also.

 

My first visitor, Kim, arrives from Sydney on Friday and stays for a week, we first met in 2011 when we were volunteering with Globalteers. It will be lovely to have her company.

 

Sure there will be so much more to tell in the next blog.

 

 

P

 

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Week 5. Khmer New Year Holiday

Where has the time gone? Into week 5 already. I am starting to appreciate the surrounding environment. This part of Siem Reap is a pocket or an oasis away from the hustle and bustle of town. Less traffic, less noise and far more peaceful. Pretty good considering we are not that removed from the centre.The trees are beautiful, indigenous to the area and many if them not found anywhere else. I am lucky to have found this place.

My garden is full of trees and we are planning the renovation around them, they are very old and worth saving. Most of them are local fruit trees whose names totally escape me! Several of them look like apricots. They are taller than this villa which is double storey with 12 foot ceilings.

 

The owners sent in men who climbed the trees and picked much of the fruit which they then sold. I have had to put a stop to this because of security and wanting to lock the gates when I'm not here. The down side is that the ground is covered in the fallen fruit and it is a heck of a mess. They drop off the trees at night and the noise hitting the roof is like a gun shot! The fruit is very sweet but the skin is thick and the stone is large so not a lot of flesh to eat.

 

There is another fruit similar in colour but growing in bunches, it will be ripe soon. Another tree bears fruit that looks like large green apples that turn purple. This is Inedible as the tree has been attacked by some sort of grub that is inside the fruit. Apart from this I have bananas growing and. 2 coconut trees.

 

Outside the gate and on the river bank is a tall lychee tree but the locals have decimated it by pulling off large branches to get to the fruit. This tree and fruit are aplenty mine and the locals should not be taking it, will deal with that next year!

 

I haven't seen or heard a lot of birds in Siem Reap and this is apparently due to them being eaten during the pol pot era and recovery has been slow. BUT I hear them around here and occasionally see some but no idea what they are. There are many geckos, some funny rapid moving lizards and a type of squirrel that has a double yellow stripe up its back and shoots up the trees. Of course I never have my camera around when I see them.

 

My bit of terror occurred a couple of days ago when I went to plug an extension cord into the outdoor power point. I came face to face with a snake, girth about the size of my little finger and around 30 cm long and it was hanging out of the socket! It slowly wound itself up and disappeared inside! Gorgeous colours of green and yellow and have since been advised if it has green then it would be poisonous! I didn't need that information to stay well away from it!

 

I thought that working at the farm was a steep learning curve but everything here is a little more difficult, not only because of the language but because of the lack of resources and local knowledge! After a hard days work earlier this week I went for a shower to discover no water. The tank was dry. The valve for the city water had been on all day but the tank had failed to fill. Apparently the population has outgrown the water supply and frequently it just goes off. I rang the owners son to find out what to do and the family trooped around. Explained to me that I needed to put on the electric pump and get some water into the tank from the well then leave the city valve open so that when the water comes on it will top the tank up. This usually occurs overnight when demand is low. Outcome is that the tank overflowed at 3 am and I had to clamber out of bed and downstairs and go around the back and turn the valve off! Bit of a bloody nuisance really. The valve is currently open but am going to turn it off before I go to bed. The demand will be greater this weekend as the city is full due to Khmer New year. The big drama was that the pump then failed! It was whirring but not pumping. I called Luigi who runs an Italian NGO and we is a mine of knowledge and his guys do ironwork, install aircons, some electrical and some plumbing. Lucky for me he had somebody on duty today and I had a lesson in how to prime a well pump! Fortunately that was the problem.

 

I had a surprise visitor his week, Peter Norden who is a good friend of Joe and Julie's was escorting a group to Cambodia and he had a free evening so we went out for dinner. Also spent an evening with Samuel at the River Garden which is nice and local and good food so haven't been sitting at home on my own every night! There is an Italian restaurant over the river to me and had heard it was Ok so Nak and I ventured there last weekend. I must say that I was not confident but off we went. The restaurant was lovely but what a shocking meal, neither of us enjoyed it so reluctant to try their small goods that they have recently started making.

 

This weekend is the New Year celebration and the town is brightly lit up and everywhere are colorful starts made from bamboo frames and cellophane, the music is pumping, the river bank closer to town has marquees set up and food stalls appearing. I was going to go along there later this afternoon but got caught up cleaning out the boxes in the study! Of course, more things than I have space to put them!

Next doors lights look like Blackpool and Christmas rolled into 1. Tomorrow I shall take a photo before it gets too late!

 

I very excitedly jumped on my bike yesterday to discover the brakes had been dismantled and I had no idea how to reassemble them but found a road side still/ repairer/ bike shop and for $1 he sorted it all out for me. It is so good to have a decent bike to ride! I was pretty lucky to find these guys as so many people don't open over this time.

 

I have one more week before I start at Grace House and was hoping to have the garden sorted before then but with the holidays that is t going to happen. It will be just one small piece at a time. That is how things are done here!!!!

The most exciting event this week was of course receiving my furniture. Arrived promptly Tuesday morning, unpacked, beds reassembled and packing taken away. Of course I have much more stuff than I need and not enough space to put it all and there are a few boxes that I re packed because I now know that I am never going to need it! I am now living in a home away from home. I just don't have a dining table but haven't actually needed one but 8 chairs on their own look rather silly!

 

Second most exciting thing was unpacking the high pressure cleaner and I am amazed after the work that it has done over the past 2 days that it is still working!

Until next time, x

 

 

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